British Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday suffered a bitter blow to Parliament, where the review of the Brexit withdrawal agreement resumed, with MPs adopting an amendment putting pressure on the government to present a "plan B" in case of failure of the text. The head of the government had given pledges to MPs to try to convince them to adopt the exit agreement of the EU, before a decisive vote on January 15. But evidence of their distrust, they have adopted 308 votes for and 297 against an amendment tabled by the Conservative Dominic Grieve which requires the government to submit in three days - against 21 days according to current legislation - an alternative plan on Brexit in case of rejection of the text by the deputies.
"React quickly". "We are doing everything in our power to win the vote on Tuesday, but it is also our intention, if it does not happen, to react quickly and give assurances as to what happens after the vote. , "a spokeswoman for Downing Street said Wednesday morning. The government had already suffered a first defeat the day before with the passing of an amendment to a budget law aimed at limiting its power to implement a Brexit without agreement.
The text will not be rewritten. Despite this setback, a bad omen for Tuesday's vote, David Lidington, the number two of the British government, has again ruled Wednesday any rewrite of the text, bitterly negotiated with Brussels. "The choice is this agreement, or disagree, or, as some members want, to completely cancel the outcome of the 2016 referendum," he said on the BBC. The vote, initially scheduled in December, was postponed at the last minute by Theresa May to avoid a defeat announced, the agreement lashing against him both by the Brexiters who fear a form of permanent stowage to the EU and the Europhiles who still hope to be able to backtrack.